DIASCHISIS AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE AFTER CEREBELLAR STROKE

The cerebellum has been implicated in higher-order behavior. Blood flo w studies (SPECT) have shown that cerebral diaschisis can appear after cerebellar lesions and this phenomenon could serve as a basis for a p otential neuropsychological derangement after cerebellar insults, Our objectives in this study were to delineate the neuropsychological prof ile after cerebellar stroke, to evaluate cerebral diaschisis as measur ed by SPECT and to correlate the findings. We prospectively studied 26 patients with cerebellar stroke and 16 subjects matched for age, sex and educational level as a control group. 4 neuropsychological battery test, MRI and cerebral SPECT were performed in both groups, We found that cerebellar stroke results in motor control impairment and mild na ming deficit, whereas no dysfunction in declarative memory, language, visuospatial or executive abilities is evident. The anatomical distrib ution of the lesion does not seem relevant in terms of neuropsychologi cal impairment or diaschisis. Both ipsilateral and contralateral diasc hisis as a result of a cerebellar stroke are found, but this phenomeno n does not seem to result in overt neuropsychological derangement.